Accidental Bonding
by GreatOne
Summary: John Ross and Christopher are sent by Bobby on an assignment but when the unexpected happens, will they work together to survive, or use their circumstances as an opportunity to destroy each other?
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfic attempt outside the Star Wars Universe! (we shall see if Han, Luke or Leia show up unexpectedly... okay, probably not! LOL!) This story will probably be only three or four chapters long.**

* * *

**Accidental Bonding**

(AU - if there_ is_ a Season Three)

Part One

_Downtown Dallas, inside the newly renamed 'Ewing Global.'_

Christopher Ewing stalked into his cousin's office, throwing a document down on the desk in and grunting his disgust. "Does it always have to come back to this?"

Turning his leather chair slowly around, John Ross briefly picked up the papers, glancing at them before placing them back down. "Where'd you get this?"

"Why should that matter?"

"Listen, Emma Ryland got the goods on her father, and that's all that matters. I don't know why you think I'm trying to take over the company based on this document."

"I guess I'm getting really good at reading between the lines. If this was supposed to be a benefit to Ewing Global, then you wouldn't have been keeping it from me and my father."

"I wasn't keeping it a secret," John Ross replied. "I was just waiting for the right time to tell you."

Christopher ran his fingers through his dark hair in frustration. "Didn't JR's last letter get through to you at all?"

"What does JR's letter have to do with anything?" John Ross replied, annoyed at having his deceased father brought up in almost every conversation lately.

"You're conspiring with a Ryland to take over Ewing Global," Christopher shot back angrily. "JR's last letter was filled with remorse over his endless fighting with my father over Southfork and this company. Why can't you take a lesson from that? Why do you have to always, and I mean always, try to stab me in the back? Why can't we just work as a team and make this company a success _together_?"

John Ross stood up, his face flushing with his own anger. "Because your part of the company is sucking the lifeblood out of Ewing Oil," he responded. "Methane development is costing us billions, and it's not putting a dime back into the coffers, while _my_ oil part of the company is not only pulling its own weight, but _your _part of the company's weight, as well."

"It's not mine versus yours," Christopher tried arguing back. "It's ours. Oil may be here and now, but alternative energies are the future. What's costing us money today will be paying the bills tomorrow. Try to see beyond your own nose for a change, John Ross. It's called diversification. It's what successful companies do all the time."

"I'm glad you can see so clearly into the future, Cousin," John Ross shot back sarcastically. "Maybe you should try your hand at predicting horse races."

"I'll tell you what I can see clearly, and that's the end of your marriage when Pamela finds out about what you and Emma are doing behind her back. Do you want to push her back on Cliff's side? Because that's what you're going to end up doing."

"Emma and I have a business arrangement, nothing more."

Christopher barked out a short laugh. "And the sun rises in the west."

"And this conversation is over."

"It may be over with me, but I guarantee it won't be over when my father hears about it. He's going to be disappointed in you, John Ross. He said he was trying to find it in his heart to trust you again, and then you go and do this."

"Well, you know how I yearn to have Uncle Bobby's approval," John Ross said with a smirk as he sat back down. He pushed the papers toward Christopher. "But you just feel free to run off and tattle on me, Christopher. It brings back such fond memories of our childhood."

Christopher snatched the files back. "I do intend to tell my father. Need I remind you that he's got a stake in this, too?"

The other man spun his chair back to face the window, removing himself from his cousin's sight. "Go ahead and tell your daddy."

* * *

_ Southfork Ranch_

Filled with righteous indignation, Christopher rapped his knuckles on door to his father's home office, then opened the door and entered without giving his father a chance to answer his knock. He was about to launch into a tirade, but stopped short when he saw his father was on the telephone, frowning and listening intently without speaking. After a few long moments, Bobby Ewing thanked the speaker and hung up the receiver.

"That was Carlos," Bobby told his son. "Cliff's not in a Mexican prison anymore."

Christopher blinked, his thoughts immediately derailed from John Ross to this latest surprise. "What?"

"Someone busted him out. According to the Mexican's authorities, a helicopter landed in the middle of the prison, and a lot of automatic weapons were used to keep the guards pinned down while someone hustled Cliff into the helicopter."

"Cliff must have paid someone to get him out."

"Probably," Bobby concurred with his son. "I need you and John Ross to go down there and find out the details. I'll keep everything under control on this end. Why did you need to see me, anyway?"

Jarred out of his shock over Cliff, the younger man's eyes flicked down at the paper in his hand. "It's nothing. We'll talk about it later. This is more important."

Bobby nodded his agreement. "Now get going as quickly as possible."

* * *

_Over the dry desert, in the northeast section of Mexico_

"I had a real hard time convincing Pamela not to come along," John Ross groused, looking out of the small window of the private Ewing jet and swirling the drink in his hand. "I finally told her it wasn't safe for females down there, and I wanted to be able to concentrate on looking for answers, and I wouldn't be able to do that if I had to keep watching out for her all the time."

Christopher let out a snort. "I'll bet that sexist comment went over real well."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I might be sleeping on the sofa when we get home." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Cliff is turning out to be slipperier than an oily snake sliding down a drain pipe."

For a moment it appeared that Christopher was about to make some type of snarky remark, but then thought better of it. "I didn't tell my father about your conspiracy with Emma – yet."

"How magnanimous of you."

"Don't get too comfortable," Christopher returned evenly. "I still intend to tell him everything, after this trip."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't, Cousin." It was then that a loud bang sounded, and the plane bucked wildly enough that it caused the drink John Ross was holding to slop onto the floor, and both young men to nearly fall from their seats. The interior lights flickered and went out. "What the…?"

"Jordon? Peter?" Christopher called out toward the pilot and the co-pilot. "What happened?"

An older man with graying hair stuck his head out of the cockpit doorway. "We just had a catastrophic instrument failure, Mr. Ewing. Everything was just fine, and then it was…was like a bomb went off. We have no controls."

The two Ewing men exchanged worried looks. "Can you contact the nearest flight tower?" asked John Ross. "Let them know we're in trouble?"

Jordon shook his head negatively, and repeated grimly, "Nothing is working, Mr. Ewing. We'll keep trying to get it to restart." The pilot hurried back inside the cockpit, and Christopher and John Ross could do nothing but watch as the landscape quickly grew closer and more distinct with every passing second.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

"Been nice knowing you," John Ross muttered darkly.

"Don't be so pessimistic," Christopher returned. "They still might get the engines working."

"Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for a crash landing," the co-pilot screamed back from the cockpit to his passengers.

"Still holding onto that theory?" John Ross asked as he fastened his belt.

"We're not going to die," said Christopher firmly. The lights inside the small aircraft flickered back to life, and a moment later the engine could be heard whining as it kicked back on. "See? I was right."

A few hundred feet from crashing, the aircraft shuddered as the pilot desperately tried to regain control, and for a moment the plane's nose lifted and the wings leveled out. Then the engines gave a final cough and the plane stalled and dropped to the sandy ground with a tremendously loud bang.

* * *

_Southfork Ranch_

Sue Ellen Ewing frowned as she entered the foyer of the large mansion, noting that a grim looking Sheriff Derrick was exiting through the back doorway. She could hear muffled sobs from inside of Bobby's office. Sue Ellen hurried toward the office, and saw that Bobby was comforting his wife, Ann, and that Pamela Barnes-Ewing, her new daughter-in-law, was sitting on a small sofa, dabbing her own tears away with a white tissue.

With dread filling her soul, Sue Ellen cleared her throat. "Bobby?"

Ann turned toward Sue Ellen, her face ashen. "We have bad news about our boys," she whispered.

Sue Ellen gripped the back of the sofa for support, her knuckles turning white. "What's happened?"

"Their plane has disappeared from radar," Bobby answered grimly. "They were on a trip to Mexico, to see about Cliff's escape from prison."

"Cliff?"

"My father is responsible," Pamela stated softly, looking down at the floor. "First he killed my babies, and now he's killed my husband."

"No…." Sue Ellen felt her knees grow weak, and Ann was quickly by her side, supporting her weight and keeping her from falling.

Bobby frowned at Pamela. "We don't know any details yet. There wasn't any communication that the plane was in trouble. It's possible they landed safely at some small, out of the way airport, and haven't been able to contact us yet."

None of the Ewing women had the desire to contradict Bobby, and no one saw Ann's daughter Emma standing outside Bobby's office and eavesdropping on their private hopes and fears, all the while suppressing a smirk.

* * *

_Chihuahua Mexican desert_

John Ross forced his eyes open, trying to remember why he had such a terrible hangover. And why was it so blasted hot in his bedroom? Then the bright sunlight forced him to shut his eyelids, and he muttered through dry lips, "Hell."

"No, it just feels like it." It was Christopher's voice.

"What happened?" John Ross croaked out.

"Our airplane crashed."

JR's youngest son forced himself to sit up, despite his aches and pains. He noted their hot, desert surroundings, and the smoldering remains of the airplane several hundred yards in the distance. "How did we survive?"

"I only lost consciousness for a few seconds," Christopher replied. "When I woke up, the plane was filled with black smoke, and I pulled you out right before fire engulfed the plane. Our pilots are both dead."

"You missed your chance, Cousin."

Christopher eyed John Ross curiously. "My chance?"

"To get rid of me. You could've left me inside, and then your problems would be over."

"Is that what you would've done if you would have woken up, and I was unconscious? Would you have left me behind to die?"

"No," John Ross said after a few seconds of silence. "I wouldn't have done that."

"That was a mighty slow answer," Christopher remarked.

John Ross stood up, swaying unsteadily on his feet. "That plane didn't have a black box on it, did it?"

"Nice job changing the subject, John Ross. No, our plane wasn't equipped with a black box. And I doubt our pilots had a chance to send a distress signal in the few seconds they had available after the power came back on."

"No water, no way to send a distress signal, and nothing but sand and cactus for as far as the eye can see. So that leaves us with two choices – staying with the burned out plane, or hoofing it and try to find a town."

Christopher shook his head. "I can't manage the second one."

"Why not?" John Ross looked down at his cousin, who was still sitting in the hot sand.

"My ankle is broken," Christopher admitted reluctantly.

"How did you get me out, then?" John Ross asked, incredulously.

"Painfully. Very, very painfully."

"I guess that settles that, then," John Ross stated, sitting back down on the ground. "We wait here, and hope someone saw the smoke, and calls for help."

"Unless, if they saw the crash, they suspect it was drug dealers, and they don't say a word," Christopher pointed out.

"Or drug dealers are the ones that saw our plane go down, and they come to investigate," John Ross said a bit worriedly. They were both silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. "I wouldn't have left you in that plane," John Ross finally added.

"Okay. I believe you," Christopher replied, not sounding too convinced.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

_Southfork Ranch_

Pamela sat on the edge of her bed, mulling over her life and the sequences of incredibly unfortunate and tragic events that seemed to be plaguing her as of late. She heard a soft knock on her door, and went to answer, assuming it would be Sue Ellen. It wasn't her mother-in-law, but the blonde Emma Ryland standing in the hallway. Something about that young girl raised Pamela's hackles, even though she really hadn't had very much contact with her. Still, she tried to be friendly as she inquired, "Yes?"

"My mother told me about what happened," Emma said, looking stricken as she reached forward and grasped Pamela's hand. "I'm so sorry, Pamela. John Ross was just about the only Ewing that made me feel at home here at Southfork. He's been such a sweetheart to me. You definitely ended up with the better of those two guys. Christopher seemed so uptight, don't you agree? I don't believe the two of you could have had too much in common. I can't imagine being a widow at such an early age."

"You're making a lot of assumptions, Emma," Pamela replied frostily, wondering how much of a 'sweetheart' John Ross had been to Emma in the past. "Until we hear otherwise, I'm choosing to believe that both John Ross and Christopher are alive."

Emma gave Pamela a strained look, and withdrew her hand. "I suppose that's always a possibility. If John Ross is alive, you won't have to leave Southfork, right? I wouldn't want to leave this nice place, either, so I can see why you're holding out hope."

"Thanks for going out of your way to comfort me," Pamela said sarcastically. "I really appreciate it." She shut the door in Emma's face without further comment.

* * *

_Chihuahuan Mexican desert_

John Ross had pulled some of the scattered fragments of the destroyed airplane, and propped them together to form a small shelter to guard against the hot sun. He had also retrieved some pieces of broken glass to reflect the sunlight and hopefully use as a location signal. Now, however, it was starting to grow dark, and both men sat in brooding silence under the makeshift fiberglass tent, neither one wanting to give voice to their growing anxiety.

"I once saw a program on TV about an alien space-craft that crashed right about in this section of Mexico, way back in the 1970's," John Ross said conversationally. "From what I remember about the show, the UFO collided with a Cessna and both the crashed Cessna and the UFO were located by the Mexican authorities. But the next day the Mexican Army people were found by the US Government's Men in Black. They'd been strangled to death and they were still sitting inside their Jeeps, with the keys in the ignition. Then the Men in Black took the UFO to Area 51 in New Mexico, probably without asking the Mexican government if that was okay with them." He paused for a moment, and then added, "It was on the History Channel, so it must be a true story."

Christopher laughed. "Did you ever put that much effort into memorizing real history lessons when we were in school?"

"No," replied John Ross. "Real history lessons were boring compared to crashing alien spacecraft from another planet. It's the teachers' fault, now that I think about it, for their students getting bad grades. If they had spiced up their lessons and included facts about UFO's and Sasquatch, I might have graduated summa cum laude."

"I did, even without UFO and Bigfoot stories."

"Quit bragging. It's annoying."

The far-away sound of a plane engine interrupted their contemplations, and John Ross rushed out of the shelter, waving his arms at the distant dot in the purple-hued evening sky. "Hey! We're over here! Come this way!" The plane disappeared in the gloom, and he dropped his arms to his sides. "Idiot pilot."

"He was too far away to see us, John Ross." Christopher sighed. "I don't know how long we can hold out without water. Two days? Maybe three? Not long in this heat, anyway."

"The night won't be hot," John Ross stated, crouching down and drawing a line in the sand with his finger. "In fact, we might freeze to death before morning." He turned to Christopher, and pointed off into the distance. "I'm going to walk to the top of that ridge, and see if there are any lights in the distance."

"It's going to be dark soon," Christopher pointed out. "What if you can't find your way back?"

"There's a full moon, so I'll find my way back," John Ross said with a lot more confidence than he actually felt. "Besides, a town will be easier to spot when it's dark."

"Alright," Christopher agreed reluctantly. "Just don't leave me here if you do see something that resembles civilization."

"Would you quit worrying about me abandoning you? I promise I won't do that."

"Because you actually consider me like your brother?"

"No…because Uncle Bobby would skin me alive if I come back without you."

* * *

_An hour later in a rundown hotel, south of Dallas_

Inside the darken room, the two lovers passionately locked lips, eventually parting to catch their breath. "I can't believe it worked," Emma whispered to her companion.

"How can you not believe it?" Drew Ramos said with a grin. "I am a master at explosives. Not to mention placing those explosives in the right place."

"So, two down, and only two to go," Emma said with a giggle. "Next we'll get rid of my stepfather, Bobby, and John Ross' mother. Then Ewing Global will belong to my mother, which means it also belongs to me."

"Us," Drew corrected sternly. "The Ewings stole my father's land, and I _will _have it back. I want the Land Title to Southfork Ranch, Emma. I don't care about anything else."

"You'll want a share of Ewing Global, too. Don't pretend otherwise." The girl smiled. "I'm glad your sister contacted you from Mexico, and finally told you the truth about JR Ewing stealing your father's land. Otherwise you might not have helped me with _my_ plan."

"What was it that John Ross was so interested in getting, anyway?" Drew asked, unable to hide his jealousy, even though he was unaware of Emma's recent liaison.

"Just some dumb paperwork on Ryland Transport, so he could use it to steal the business away from my father," Emma answered truthfully. "I didn't see any issue with humoring him, since he wasn't going to be around long enough to actually do anything with it, and I didn't want to make him suspicious by not doing what he asked me to do."

"What _else_ did he ask of you?"

"Not to tell his wife," said Emma, winking. "I didn't, either. Although, I'm not sure what we should do about the latest Mrs. Ewing. She's still going to be a stock-holder in our company."

"I'm sure that Elena will be able to convince her that the Ewings lied to her about everything. Once that happens, Pamela will be happy to call herself a Barnes again. She won't be a problem."

Emma frowned. "You didn't tell your sister about any of this, did you? She still might have a thing for Christopher, and if she finds out…"

"She won't find out. I made a mistake telling her about my part in the methane rig blast, and I won't make that mistake again."

"Ryland-Ramos International. Do you think that sounds like a good choice to rename Ewing Global?"

"I prefer Ramos-Ryland, myself."


	4. Chapter 4

**Four**

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Biting her lip nervously, Elena was escorted into a small room that held a desk and a tall-backed leather chair, which was facing away from her view, and toward the dark window. She was starting to worry that rushing over to see Joaquin Lopez , the rich old 'family friend' so soon after talking to Cliff Barnes had been a huge mistake. The man had allowed her entry into his heavily fortified hacienda, and had listened to her rant and rave against the terrible injustice the Ewings' had foisted off on her grandfather. Joaquin had then promised Elena he'd 'take care of things' for her. The look in his eyes when he'd said that made her blood run cold - this was not a man to cross. Although it had taken some time, she had finally been able to track Drew, and contact him by telephone, telling him about her meeting with Cliff Barnes, and making him promise to stay out of further trouble, since Joaquin was going to help the Ramos family regain their rightful land.

The guards nodded at her, then left and shut the door, leaving her standing alone in the room. At that point the chair moved, and swung around, revealing the grizzled face of Cliff Barnes. Elena's mouth dropped open in shock. "How…?"

"I'm impressed with the sophistication and brilliance of your friends, Elena," Cliff said, smiling.

For a brief moment, he reminded Elena of the Emperor from the Star Wars movies, and she half expected to see his eyes turn yellow. Of course they did no such thing, but the sensation of being in the presence of evil remained. "Joaquin got you released from prison? So quickly? I thought the appeal would take at least a few weeks, or even months."

Cliff laughed at Elena's naïve comment. "You might refer to my newfound freedom as _released_. Released, sprung, escaped… they all have the same result. I'm no longer languishing in that snake pit, and I have you to thank for that."

Elena felt her heart start racing. "You're a fugitive?"

"I suppose the federales consider me as such. But you and your brother are now conspirators to my escape."

Her head was spinning at this turn of events. "Drew? What does Drew have to do with any of this?"

"I asked your influential friend to convince Drew to plant an explosive device on the Ewing jet. I figured some of them would immediately come to Mexico when they heard about my escape, and I was right. From what I've heard, both Ewing boys are history. My daughter's marriage to Christopher was short, but her marriage to JR's spawn was even shorter. Fortunately, now she's run out of Ewings her age to marry, so I can stop concerning myself about her future choice of spouse."

The world felt like it had stopped spinning, and Elena was having trouble processing all this terrible information. "Christopher… is dead?"

"Yup, and you have your brother to thank for it. He's quite the clever boy, and once Mr. Lopez had his connections in Dallas provide him with the materials, and a way to access the airport hanger, Drew took care of the rest in quick order. I'm sure I'll find a lot of work for your smart brother at Barnes Global, once I get it back from the vipers that currently occupy my company."

Her tears fell freely as the news of her lover's death finally hit home. "I will never be able to forgive myself," she whispered harshly.

"Sure you will," Cliff said with a chuckle. "Money and revenge heals all wounds. Or, when it comes to the Ewings', it wounds all heels."

* * *

_Southfork Ranch_

The bourbon burned the back of Sue Ellen's throat. Getting drunk was the only way she could dull the pain of the loss of her only son. People inside small planes very seldom survived crashes, and the odds of John Ross and Christopher making it back home alive was extremely slim. She shut her eyes, trying to block out the mental image in her mind of her son, burned and dead inside a twisted mangle of fiberglass and metal.

"Mrs. Ewing?"

Sue Ellen swung around, guiltily hiding the glass behind her back. It was Pamela, her face a mix of grief and … something else. "Call me Sue Ellen. There are too many Mrs. Ewings around here already."

Pamela gave a wan smile. "Okay." She moved further into the room, shutting the door. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Certainly."

"Emma Ryland came to talk to me about how much she liked John Ross. I don't trust her."

Sue Ellen fought down a bitter smile. "Please don't tell me he was fooling around with that trash." When Pamela raised an eyebrow, Sue Ellen added a bit contritely, "I know… I shouldn't say that about Ann's daughter. I love Ann like a sister, I really do. But I have the worst feeling that Emma's personality has already been set in stone by her twisted father and warped grandmother."

"That's what I think, too. I don't have anything to prove it, but I keep getting the idea that she's keeping secrets. I don't believe she's upset about the plane going missing."

The older woman frowned in contemplation. "You think Emma might know something about John Ross and Christopher?"

"Trash sometimes contains a lot of important information."

* * *

_Chihuahuan Mexican desert, night_

Christopher rubbed his aching ankle, and pulled his lightweight shirt tighter around his chest. The temperature was dropping fast, and John Ross had been gone for several hours already. He was starting to get worried that his cousin might never return when he heard a rustling sound from a few hundred feet away. Concerned about coyotes, or snakes, or criminals, he picked up the nearest rock he could locate, knowing full well it would be about as useful as cardboard box for warding off attackers.

"You can put down your big, bad weapon – it's only me," John Ross' voice said from the darkness.

"What took you so long?"

John Ross came closer, and sat down. "It was a lot further away than I first thought."

"Did you see anything?"

"Actually, I saw a small bunch of lights in the distance, toward the west, maybe five miles or so? I think we should try to go there."

"My ankle," Christopher said, pointing. "I'm not sure it's broken or not, but I sure can't put full weight on it."

"Well, then you can use a walking stick, and I'll help you. We'll get there, but I'd rather walk at night than during the heat of the day."

Christopher sighed. "You should head over there without me. Both of us shouldn't have to die if one of us can survive."

"Did you forget what I said before? About Uncle Bobby killing me if I made it back without you? I wasn't kidding, Cousin. I'm not leaving here unless you can, too." He stood up and searched around for a stick, finally locating a piece of a creosote bush that could serve as a small bit of support. He helped Christopher to his feet, and with Christopher grunting in pain and determination with almost every step, both young men headed off toward the distant ridge, and the lights that lay beyond.


	5. Chapter 5

**Five**

By mid-morning the young Ewing men had managed to travel only about half-way to their destination. It had been a frustrating walk, with the need for frequent stops to allow Christopher time to rest and gather up strength. Several times during the hike, Christopher had ridden 'piggy-back' on his cousin, but even that hadn't worked out too well, since John Ross couldn't carry Christopher very far over the desert's uneven terrain without stopping to rest, as well.

Now, nearing noon, they sat under a bit of shade they'd located, near a waist-high boulder. Both men were sweating profusely, their lips cracked and their mouths' so dry that neither could speak without effort and pain. It was now a full twenty-four hours since their plane had crashed.

"We'll stay here," John Ross croaked out, "until dusk, when the temperature drops."

"This is stupid," Christopher muttered.

John Ross gave Christopher a strained look. "We can't keep going in this heat without drinking water."

"We can't keep going without water, period. If you'd listened to me yesterday, you would already be in town, and then a rescue party could have come back for me. Once it gets dusk, you're going on to that village, and you're leaving me here."

"You wouldn't leave me behind. I don't intend to leave you, either."

"I'd leave you if I knew it was the only chance we had to live. Use some common sense, John Ross! This is the way it has to be!"

"We'll see how we both feel in a few hours," John Ross replied stubbornly. "We'll make a decision, then. Who knows… maybe a rescue plane will fly overhead sometime today, and neither of us will have to hike anymore."

"Sure. That'll happen."

"You used to be the optimistic one," John Ross said. "What happened?"

"Oh, I don't know," Christopher mused thoughtfully. "Betrayal, divorce, sabotage, murder, more betrayal, plane crashes… those sorts of things have a way of deflating even the most optimistic person."

John Ross pursed his dry lips thoughtfully. "You're looking at this the wrong way."

"How's that?"

"You uncovered the betrayals, which ended up putting Cliff Barnes in a Mexican prison. You survived not one, but two explosions, and everyone ends up getting divorced two or three times before finding the right one. You're just ahead of the curve on that item."

"Two or THREE times?"

"Yup, so you should be glad you've gotten the first divorce out of the way already."

"Cliff's escaped from the prison," Christopher pointed out with a sigh.

"We'll find him and put his wrinkled rear back behind bars in no time at all. And you'll find Elena and work that out, too. She'll be Wife Number Two for you, trust me."

"Wife Number Two?"

"Maybe Allison from the Dallas Road Commission will be Wife Number Three," John Ross said with a wicked glint in his eye, "except for the small detail that she might still be ticked off about your part in setting her up to get that methane contract."

"That was your idea," Christopher pointed out.

"True, and my part was a lot of fun. Maybe she'll be my next wife. You'll have to pick someone else."

"You have a very strange outlook on life, John Ross."

"Thank you, Cousin. I'm glad you've noticed."

* * *

_Southfork Ranch_

Emma had come back home very late – or early, since it was nearly daybreak before she collapsed into her bed. Pamela waited for several hours before slowly opening the girl's door and quietly entering her room, her heart pounding in anticipation of Emma suddenly waking up and catching her in the act.

A small purse was tossed carelessly onto a chair, near the bed. Biting her lip, Pamela picked up the clutch and clicked it open. Inside was a wallet, several bottles of pills, and a pink cell phone. The phone was her objective, and she quickly removed it before putting the purse back on the chair. Taking great care not to wake Emma, she exited the room and hurried back to her own bedroom.

Once she was sitting in her room, she turned on the cell and scrolled through the phonebook page, writing down each number. Only one number stood out, having been called frequently and very recently. Taking a deep breath, Pamela punched in the number and waited for the signal to connect to the unknown.

After quite a few rings, a man's voice answered, "I thought I'd worn you out last night, and you would need an entire day to recuperate."

Pamela took a deep breath, and whispered back, "It was a lot of fun, wasn't it?'

"I'd like to think so," the man said with a laugh. "Have they found their bodies yet?"

"Not yet."

"Maybe the coyotes and buzzards will eat their bloated corpses, first. Why are you whispering?"

"I don't want anyone to overhear me talking to you," Pamela quickly responded.

"Oh. Well, don't forget to pump your mother for Ewing's whereabouts today. The sooner I can get to his brake lines, the better. And don't worry – we'll make sure Bobby's alone in the car when it happens."

"Thank… you."

"You can thank me later, Emma. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that Elena called me a few hours ago. You were right about her still having feelings for Christopher. She was hysterical, and called me a murderer, and she said she hated my guts. I don't know why this suddenly occurred to her now. After that methane explosion, my status as a murderer was pretty well established. Barnes sure has a big mouth, though. I didn't need my sister to know my involvement with the plane until later… much, much later."

Up until that point, Pamela had been uncertain who was on the other end of the line. Now she knew. "I love you, Drew," she choked out, trying to sound sincere.

Drew laughed again. "Let's hold off on the love business until we get the Ewing's business."

Pamela pressed the 'off' button, and then hurried off to find Bobby.

* * *

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Joaquin Lopez entered Elena's room without knocking, surprising his guest. "You need to stop communicating with your brother. Give me your cell phone – now."

"You're the one that asked me to track him down," Elena protested, watching as Lopez proceeded to rummage through her belongings until he located her phone.

"That was necessary. Now you are just taking risks. Barnes and I will handle everything that needs to be done from this point. You must relax, and enjoy my hospitality. Swim in the pool, soak up the sun, read a novel, watch some DVD's - but you will not leave this compound."

"What if I want to leave?" Elena demanded hotly. "I never asked you to break Barnes out of prison, and I certainly didn't want you to kill anyone!"

"You wanted your land, and I am getting it for you. Do not try to put limitations on what I can, or cannot do. When my end of the bargain is complete, you will pay me back for my assistance."

"What? You didn't ask me for any money! I will pay you what I can afford, but – "

"Barnes and your brother will pay me what I demand, money-wise. From you, however, the payment will be somewhat different."

"I don't understand.."

"You will agree to become my wife, Elena," Lopez said with a tight smile. "Mrs. Joaquin Lopez has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" He turned and left her room, locking the door behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Six**

_Southfork Ranch_

Pamela stood in the center of Bobby Ewing's home office, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she waited for the older man's reaction regarding what she had discovered after impersonating Emma and calling Drew. She could tell by his expression that he wasn't taking this bit of news very well.

"This information is going to kill Ann," Bobby finally mumbled as he put his head into his hands. "Is it possible you misunderstood him?"

"No, Bobby," Pamela replied firmly, although she understood his desire to protect Ann, "I know what I heard. Drew was responsible for the plane crash at the direction of my father, and now he intends to kill you so he can get his hands on Southfork and Ewing Energies."

Bobby gave a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. "I should've known Cliff wouldn't go away quietly and never be heard from again. I never thought it would be this quickly."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

The older man gave a rueful smile. "Give him enough rope, and you know how the rest goes. I wish JR was still around. He'd have several good suggestions for handling Drew and Emma."

Just then, Ann stepped into the room, frowning. "What about Emma?"

The last thing Bobby wanted to do was to lie to his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to relay what Pamela had just told him, either. So he took the easy way, and decided to buy some extra time. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk to Emma and convince her that siding with Cliff Barnes and Drew was the wrong thing to do. "Emma might know where Drew Ramos is hiding."

"What? How on earth would Emma know that?" Ann asked, instinctively defending her only child.

"I think Drew likes Emma," Bobby said reluctantly. "He's keeping in contact with her."

"How do you know that?"

"I found out," Pamela admitted, holding up the pink phone. "I took her phone, and called the most recently saved number. Drew was the person who answered."

"You stole Emma's phone?" Ann asked, wide eyed with disbelief. "What gave you the right to snoop through her things?"

"It's a good thing I did, because Drew told me he was planning on cutting the brake lines on Bobby's car!"

"Why would Drew tell _you_ that?" Ann yelled, her face flushed with anger.

"He did no such thing." Now it was Emma, entering the office and looking furious as she snatched her cell phone away from Pamela. "This witch is lying."

"I'm not lying!"

"Emma, you could be in huge trouble for aiding and abetting Drew Ramos," Bobby informed his step-daughter. "If you know where he's located, you'd better tell us now."

"I haven't got a clue where Drew is hiding," Emma returned, tossing her hair back. "I haven't seen him since before the methane oil rig exploded."

"You have some nerve calling_ me_ a liar," Pamela yelled, taking a step toward Emma. "You have lying down to a fine art."

"I know why you hate me. If I were in your shoes, I'd try everything I could to get rid of the competition, too."

This comment took Pamela aback. "Competition?"

"For your husband." She gave Pamela a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Pamela shot back hotly.

"I slept with John Ross." Emma ignored her mother's shock gasp and added smugly, "Just last week."

"Emma!" Ann shouted, appalled. "How could you do such a thing?"

"It was easy," Emma replied, pleased with everyone's reaction. "John Ross only married this shrew for her share of Barnes Global. He told me she's frigid in the sack."

"You are going to pay for what you've done, Emma," Pamela threatened, reeling over Emma's revelation, and not certain whether or not to believe the girl. "I've learned a few lessons from Cliff Barnes, and I intend to apply what I've learned to taking you down."

"And I've learned a _lot_ of lessons from my father and grandmother," Emma responded, inspecting the polish on her fingernails. "I'm not afraid of you, Pamela _Barnes_. You're going to find out that you've more than met your match with Emma Ryland." She flounced out of the room, leaving behind her shocked mother without further consideration.

* * *

_Chihuahuan Mexican desert, evening_

John Ross shook Christopher's shoulder, rousing him from a restless slumber. "The sun's going down. We should start walking."

"I can't walk anymore," Christopher said. "The village isn't that far away for you, John Ross. You can make it there in two or three hours without me holding you back." When he could see his cousin's indecision, he pleaded, "Go. Then send someone back to get me."

With a deep sigh, John Ross stood up. "I'll hurry."

"That would be a wonderful idea. And don't forget to bring back water."

* * *

About an hour later, John Ross came upon a narrow gravel road. He was grateful to be able to walk on the relatively flat and hard surface, and was able to make much faster time. As he drew closer to the lights, he could see it didn't appear to be a village at all, but some sort of fortress surrounded by high walls. He stopped walking toward the buildings, unsure how to proceed. Who built fortresses in the middle of nowhere? Rich people, he mentally concluded. Rich people that didn't want to be bothered, and if they didn't want to be bothered, it usually meant they were unfriendly. And unfriendly rich people who live in fortresses in the middle of a Mexican desert? Those were the types that wouldn't appreciate having their solitude interrupted by a desperate knock on the door by an American looking for assistance. But what were his options? Going back to Christopher? Neither one of them would survive another day in the desert.

It turned out that John Ross didn't have to make any decision at all – the metal door swung open and two vehicles came roaring toward him, their headlights blinding his vision. As soon as the jeeps screeched to a halt a few dozen feet away, heavily armed men immediately jumped out and demanded his surrender.

* * *

A tall man with a jagged scar entered the stark room where John Ross sat tied to a chair. He walked around his prisoner, taking stock of the new arrival's appearance, and flipping through the various items that had been removed from the young man's wallet by his efficient guards. After long moments, he finally spoke in English, "Welcome to Fortaleza del Diablo. Do you know what that means in your language, John Ross Ewing?"

"Well, Diablo means devil, which doesn't sound overly inviting." He tilted his chin up, trying to give the impression he wasn't frightened. "Since you know my name, don't you think it's only fair I know my gracioso hospedador's name?"

"Life is seldom fair, my friend. Take, for instance, the recent incarnation of a mutual acquaintance of ours, Cliff Barnes. He was imprisoned for murdering your father, yet you surely must know he did no such thing."

"Cliff Barnes is pond scum," John Ross spat back. "He's got more blood on his hands than just JR's."

The dark skinned man's lips parted, displaying his perfect teeth in an unfriendly smile. "Who among us is without sin?" He waved his hand toward the doorway, which opened partway. "Perhaps you should fling your accusations at the aggrieved." The door swung the fully open, and Cliff Barnes strutted inside, grinning ear to ear.


	7. Chapter 7

**Seven**

"Well, well, well… if the game hasn't turned around, and now look who's holding all of the aces," Cliff drawled out, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "You're about as indestructible as your old man, but we all know how that eventually turned out."

"Yeah, we do," John Ross snarled back. "You killed my father."

Cliff laughed. "Still trying to blame that on me? It's not going to work, kid. It's not like I wouldn't be proud of sticking a slug into that old devil and sending him down to spend eternity with his peers, but we both know it wasn't me."

"And you weren't behind the rig explosion, either," John Ross said sarcastically. "You remember that one? The one that killed your grandbabies?"

"That was crazy old lady Ryland's doing, not mine," Cliff said easily. "Speaking of those grandbabies, whatever happened to my dear nephew, Christopher? He was with you on that ill-fated plane ride – at least, that's what my sources tell me."

John Ross hesitated for a split second, quickly trying to decide which direction he should take in this deadly game. "I pulled him out of the burning plane, but he was too badly injured. He died a few hours later, so I buried his body to keep the vultures from getting it."

The old man's eyes narrowed as he tried to decide the truth in John Ross's story. "That's too bad. He would have made a good hostage, for both me and Senor Lopez."

The Mexican shot Cliff a questioning look. "How is that?"

"Christopher and Elena were in love," Cliff explained, sounding bored. "She would have done anything to save his life, including agreeing to be your wife. And Christopher's father would have done anything to get his son back from us, as well." He waved over toward John Ross. "This one… not so much."

"So you are saying young Mr. Ewing here is expendable?"

"The quicker, the better."

"I will have my men dispose of him immediately."

John Ross knew he had to think fast, or he was dead. "Elena's here? My Elena?"

"Your Elena?" Lopez shot back, unable to keep the jealousy from his tone. It was just the reaction John Ross had hoped to obtain.

"Elena and I were engaged last year, until a misunderstanding tore us apart. I've loved her since I was about ten years old. I still love her, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she still loves me."

"Yet you married Senora Barnes?"

"Pamela needed me."

Cliff let loose with a loud snort. "_She_ needed _you_? You married my daughter to get your filthy hands on my shares of Barnes Global, you worthless twit!" He pointed wildly at John Ross, his face flushing, and addressed Lopez, "Kill him and let the vultures pick his bones clean."

"Perhaps later," Lopez replied calmly.

"What? Why wait?"

"I shall see what Elena's reaction is to Senor Ewing's presence. If she appears to have feelings to him, then I can use those feelings to manipulate her into becoming my wife. If, on the other hand, she seems to have no feelings for this man, then I will kill Senor Ewing very slowly, and very painfully, as repayment for lying to me."

"Well, that seems fair," John Ross bluffed, hoping his voice didn't sound too shaky.

* * *

_Southfork Ranch_

"I don't understand how you could take Pamela's side against Emma," Ann railed at her husband as they stood inside their bedroom. "Emma is my daughter!"

"Christopher is my son," Bobby said quietly. "And he may very well be dead because of your precious Emma."

"She did NOT have anything to do with that plane disappearing!"

"That's not what Drew said to Pamela."

"Then either Drew is lying, or Pamela is lying."

"It could never be Emma that's the one lying, could it?" Bobby said bitterly.

"She… she wouldn't get involved with Drew Ramos. Not after the rig explosion, anyway."

Bobby sighed. "Fine, Ann. Believe whatever you want to believe." He turned and started gathering some of his belongings.

"What are you doing?"

He stopped, and turned to his wife. "I'm heading to the airport, and flying down to Mexico. I'm tired of sitting around and waiting to hear something, so I'm taking charge of this search and rescue operation, personally." He pushed past Ann as he headed toward the door.

"Good luck, Bobby," Ann called after him as he disappeared into the hallway. "I love you."

He didn't answer.

* * *

_Sue Ellen's Condo_

"Do you believe me?" Pamela asked her mother-in-law, after having repeated the phone conversation with Drew Ramos, as well as her confrontation with Ann and Emma.

"Of course I believe you," Sue Ellen reassured the young woman. "The question is – how do we prove it? We need to find Ramos, and it would be better if we found him and Emma together."

Pamela hesitated for a moment, then asked Sue Ellen, "Do you think what she said is true? About sleeping with John Ross?"

It was Sue Ellen's turn to hesitate. She loathed to betray her own flesh and blood, and it wasn't any easier to hurt Pamela. "I… wish I could say with complete confidence that John Ross is innocent, Pamela. But he's so much like JR that it sometimes scares me."

"So he's already been unfaithful to me?" That question hurt Pamela far more deeply than she wanted to admit. Didn't they both agree before saying the vows that their marriage was more of a business arrangement than a love match? What was wrong with her, anyway? Now she'd married not one, but two men for reasons other than love, yet somehow her heart seemed to get in the way both times and over-rule her common sense.

Sue Ellen seemed to sense Pamela's conflicting emotions. "If he slept with Emma, then it wasn't for love. He needed something from her, and he used sex to get it."

Pamela turned her face away. "Isn't that what he did with marrying me? Used me to get something he wanted."

"I don't know the answer to that," Sue Ellen replied softly. "More than anything in this world I want my son to find his soul mate, and live happily ever after." She gave a rueful laugh. "Yes, even at my advanced age, I still want to believe in fairy tales. I still wish I could go back in time, and somehow show JR how much he was going to regret his cheating ways, sort of like the ghost of Christmas future. Then he'd realize how wrong he'd been, and wake up as my loving and faithful husband. But now it's too late… forever too late."

"It's not too late for me though, is it?" Pamela said, meeting Sue Ellen's gaze. "Maybe there is some way I can convince John Ross that we're soul mates?"

"Maybe," Sue Ellen replied, although she was far from convinced herself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Eight**

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Elena heard the door to her room unlock, and a moment later was shocked to see a filthy, disheveled John Ross being shoved unceremoniously into her room by guards. Cliff Barnes and Joaquin Lopez followed after, their expressions hard and unreadable.

"I'll bet you're surprised to see me alive and well, darling," John Ross said, grinning at Elena.

"Shut up, Senor Ewing, or I will have your tongue removed," Lopez warned his prisoner. He tried sizing up Elena's reaction, but she was keeping her face neutral. "It appears that this one survived your brother's sabotage, Elena."

Cliff spoke up, nudging her into responding, "But, alas, Christopher died of his injuries."

For a second her steely resolve seemed to waver. Instead, she focused on the present situation. "What do you intend to do with John Ross?"

"That entirely depends on you," Lopez replied. "Do you love this man?"

John Ross interrupted and said, "Of course she does!" He was quickly punished for speaking with a sharp blow to the back of his head, which drove him to the floor.

She quickly debated what Lopez expected her to say. He was obviously insane, and if she claimed she loved John Ross he surely would snap, but it was very odd that John Ross was trying to claim otherwise. Instead of answering Lopez, Elena rushed over to John Ross' side, dropping to her own knees, putting her arm across his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"So it is true?" Lopez snapped out. "You love _this_ man? The son of the man that stole your land? What about your outrage? What about your request that I help you destroy the Ewings?"

John Ross looked at Elena, puzzled. "You want to destroy my family?"

"No!" Elena protested. "I … Cliff Barnes told me … I mean he showed me _proof _that JR switched the deed for my father's land with some worthless land, and I was upset." She turned to look at Lopez. "I never asked you to free Barnes, and I certainly never wanted you to take down the Ewing's jet."

"What?" John Ross asked, truly shocked. "You had this man plant a bomb on my jet?"

"Elena's brother did the actual planting," Cliff inserted, pleased at the way this conversation was going.

It was John Ross's turn to become outraged. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. You were_ upset_ enough to have your brother kill me and Christopher?" He struggled to his feet, shaking off Elena's assistance.

"I never wanted Lopez to have Drew to put that bomb on your plane, John Ross," Elena argued. "I don't even know how he located Drew!"

"You found him for me, Elena," Lopez said with a shrug. "All I had to do was have your cell phone calls traced. The rest was rather simple."

"What makes you think Barnes isn't lying to you?" John Ross demanded toward Elena. "That he didn't fake that so-called proof?"

"Oh, that's rich," Cliff said, shaking his head. "You're accusing _me_ of forging documents, after planting evidence to set me up as JR's killer?"

John Ross made a lunge toward Barnes, but was once again thwarted by the guards. He looked back at Elena, his face twisted in rage. "We've always treated you like a member of our family, Elena, and you repay that by siding with our worst enemy and finding some drug-kingpin to help you and your thug brother have your revenge – revenge over something neither Christopher or I knew anything about! I can't believe I was _ever_ in love with you!"

Lopez gave an exaggerated sigh. "So it's now over between you two? That means I can safely dispose of you, Senor Ewing, since I have no further use of you."

"See?" Cliff said smugly. "I told you Elena was Christopher's girl. This was all a waste of time."

Elena's mind raced as she tried to decipher these events. "You can't kill John Ross!"

"I do believe I can, my dearest," Lopez replied. "Unless…"

"Unless, what?"

"Unless he means something to you. Enough that you will do anything at all to keep him alive?"

"Such as?"

"Agreeing to become my wife."

"I… I can't.."

Lopez shrugged. "Your choice." He looked to his guards. "Take him into the desert and kill him, and make certain his body will never be found."

The guards started dragging John Ross out of the room when Elena shouted, "STOP!" She took a deep breath, and looked directly toward Lopez. "Spare him, and I'll marry you."

* * *

_Downtown, Dallas_

'Bum' Jones sat in his non-descript vehicle, waiting for the young blonde girl to leave the expensive shoe store. Just how many shoes did rich girls need, anyway? The worst part of spying on people was the boredom of killing time while the 'marks' went about their daily routines. Of course, Sue Ellen was paying him quite well, so he really couldn't complain. After JR's death, Bum had worried that he would be out of a job, but Sue Ellen was proving to be just as much in need of his services as her ex-husband. He didn't miss the irony of working for his new boss, since she'd been a frequent target of JR's obsessive need to know and control.

Emma Ryland exited the boutique, and headed toward her car. Bum smiled, and started the engine. This is where his job became exciting.

* * *

_Chihuahuan Mexican desert, next morning_

Christopher knew his time was limited. He had hours to live, and it didn't appear that John Ross was going to be returning to save him. He wondered if this was on purpose, since with his death his cousin would have one less person to compete with for control of Ewing Energies. In fact, John Ross would pretty much have it all – a majority control over the company and part ownership of Southfork. _I should've left him inside the burning plane…_

The thumping sound of a distant helicopter broke through his muddled brain, and he forced his eyes open. _I have to stand up…_ This was harder than he ever thought possible, and it took every bit of his strength and willpower to drag his body off the ground and stand upright. _Move… move before it's too late…_ Ignoring the pain in his ankle, Christopher stumbled out from behind the shadow of the rock and waved his arms just as the helicopter was beginning to turn away. _Too late… I got up too late…_

The helicopter suddenly swung back in his direction and rapidly approached his position. Christopher staggered back a few steps as the chopper landed in a cloud of churned up sand. Moments later, through the swirling debris, Bobby Ewing, tears streaming from his face, came rushing forward and gathered his trembling son into his embrace.


	9. Chapter 9

**Nine**

"I thought I'd lost you, Christopher," Bobby managed to croak out through his tight throat as he stepped back and took in the appearance of his exhausted son. "The Mexican authorities just located your aircraft late last night, and found the bodies of the crew members inside. The fact that you and John Ross weren't located gave us hope…" He trailed off at the mention of John Ross, and waited while Christopher swallowed another mouthful of life-giving cool water, then ventured forward with the question,"Where is John Ross?"

Allowing himself to be lead to the helicopter by both his father and the Mexican authority, Christopher gave a grimace at the pain shooting up his leg from his ankle. "I'm not sure." Seeing the look of concern on his father's face he added, "Last time I saw him was in the evening. We couldn't walk in the heat of the day, and John Ross was pretty sure he saw lights from a nearby town. He should've been back a long time ago." He didn't mention his suspicion that his cousin had left him to die.

The Mexican official frowned at Christopher's statement. "There is no village close enough to see lights."

It was Christopher's turn to look confused. "John Ross walked to the top of a ridge the night before. He said he was certain there was a town within walking distance." He pointed to the southwest. "He headed in that direction."

"That is no town," the Mexican official said, shaking his head. "That is Fortaleza del Diablo - Fortress of the Devil. It is the home of Joaquin Lopez, head of one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. If your cousin went there, it is unlikely he is still alive. Senor Lopez does not appreciate uninvited visitors."

Suddenly Christopher felt a rush of guilt over his earlier thoughts of John Ross betraying him. "We have to find him."

"It is too dangerous. If we fly the helicopter closer, we will be fired upon. Accept that your relative is dead."

"We don't know that John Ross is dead," Bobby argued. "You'll need to contact someone higher up, and get a search warrant. We're not just writing him off on your word, Senor Flores."

"I will take you to see my supervisor, Senor Ewing, but do not expect much help. Some things are best left undisturbed. Rattlesnakes are one of those things, and another one is Joaquin Lopez."

* * *

_Seedy motel, outskirts of Dallas_

"What are you doing, coming here?" Drew asked in annoyance, pushing Emma away as she tried to throw her arms around him as they stood outside, on the second floor cement balcony of the Econo Inn. "You were supposed to call me, not come here."

"Like last night?"

"Yeah, like last night."

Emma stepped away, and glared at Drew. "That wasn't me, you fool. That was Pamela Barnes, using my phone and pretending to be me. You told her about our plans for getting rid of Bobby and Sue Ellen!"

"Don't call _me_ a fool," Drew warned, his eyes flashing. "Why did you have had my phone number saved on your phone?"

"Well, it's not like I can memorize thousands of phone numbers," Emma returned hotly. "I did what I could to cover _your_ mistake by accusing Pamela of lying. My mother believed me, anyway."

Drew shook his head in disgust. "Now we can't eliminate the rest of the Ewings, at least not as easily as I had planned. Hopefully, Lopez will be able to come up with an alternate plan." He looked past Emma and scanned the parking lot and the street. "Did anyone follow you?"

"Follow me? Of course not," Emma said confidently.

"What about that expensive black SUV, sitting across the street from the parking lot? That wasn't there a few minutes ago."

Emma sidled up to Drew, and looked to the place where he was pointing. "I don't recognize it. I'm sure it wasn't following me. They're probably just making a phone call, or something."

"Or something," Drew agreed, pulling Emma into his grimy motel room. He shut the door, and turned to face Emma. "You need to be more careful. Do you want our plan to fail?"

"Of course not," Emma purred and snuggled against Drew's chest. "You want Southfork, and I want you, so don't be upset. You can figure out a different way to eliminate my step-father and old lady Ewing." She pulled Drew's face down, and gave him a long kiss, before drawing back and adding, "If you can get rid of Pamela Barnes too, that would really make me happy."

"You don't want much, do you?" Drew asked sarcastically. "How do you propose I get rid of all of them?"

"Burn down Southfork? Once we have all that Ewing money, you can always rebuild it, however you want."

Drew considered this option. It was only a building, and he'd rather build his own style house instead of living in that ancient, out-dated place, built by his father's enemies. Arson was a difficult crime to prove under the best of scenarios, so Emma's plan might be a viable alternative, after all. "What about your mother?"

Emma shrugged, unconcerned with the possibility of collateral damage. "She wasn't much of a mother to me, anyway."

* * *

_Hospital in Mexico_

Bobby Ewing paced outside his son's door, wishing he'd taken him directly back to the States, but Christopher had been adamant about remaining in Mexico in order to locate John Ross. Considering their history of animosity, this sudden loyalty surprised Bobby. Sure, the boys had been best friends when they were children, more like brothers than cousins. But when puberty hit, the competition with girls, and then the control of Ewing Energies, had pushed aside their closeness. It had saddened Bobby when this occurred, even though JR had expressed admiration for John Ross' growing desire to win at all cost.

He also had not yet contacted Sue Ellen, since it would be a cruel twist to inform her John Ross had survived the plane crash, only to die by the hand of some psychotic crime lord. Right now, however, his mind was mostly on getting the proper treatment for Christopher.

A doctor exited the room, and smiled warmly at Bobby. "Are you Christopher Ewing's father?"

"Yes. Can I see him now? Is he going to be alright?"

"His ankle was badly sprained, but not broken. He will be using crutches for about a week, and then he should not be in pain. Right now we have him attached to an IV, which is rehydrating his body. The tests show his kidneys' are functioning properly, which was very important for us to ascertain."

Bobby felt a rush of relief that his son was being declared physically okay. "Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate your efforts."

"You can see your son now," the doctor added, nodding toward the door.

The older Ewing was about to enter his son's room, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw one of the Ewing family's main contacts in the Mexican Federal Police, Manual Garcia. "Senor Garcia," Bobby said, shaking the man's hand. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"You are most welcome, but the news I have to tell you will not be," the man replied.

"Go on."

"We cannot simply enter Joaquin Lopez's home without cause."

"Without cause? John Ross may very well be his prisoner!"

"And what proof do you have of this?"

"My son told us that was the direction John Ross walked."

The man gave a brief smile. "It is not that I do not believe your son, but that is still extremely circumstantial evidence. Please understand my problem. If I send my men there, demanding entrance, it is likely they will not return alive."

"So you're telling me there is nothing you can do?" Bobby asked, his voice rising in frustration.

"Not officially. Perhaps, however, there is another way someone can enter Senor Lopez's compound."

"Please, explain."

"The nearby village has notified us that Senor Lopez has requested that the local priest come to Fortaleza del Diablo at his earliest convenience. For Senor Lopez, that means immediately. Unfortunately, the local priest does not wish to be his guest, and has hurriedly left town."

Bobby frowned in confusion. "How does this help us?"

"Senor Lopez does not mingle with the locals, my friend. Anyone can put on the collar and say they are the local priest."

"Really?" Bobby said, intrigued. "What do you suppose he wants from the priest?"

"Apparently, Senor Lopez desires to – how do you Americans put it? – tie the knot?"

"That's interesting. Do you have a white collar in my size?"

Senor Garcia looked surprised. "_You_ wish to go, Senor Ewing?"

"I speak Spanish, and I can look pious with the best of them," Bobby replied with a smile. "John Ross is my family, and you said this has to be done unofficially."

"Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

"I'm from Texas."

Garcia nodded. "You may be searched before you can enter the grounds. Senor Lopez is a very suspicious man."

"True, but I doubt he's ever actually looked inside a Bible," Bobby responded.


	10. Chapter 10

**Ten**

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Dressed in the appropriate robes of a local priest, Bobby Ewing drove down the bumpy road leading up to the foreboding structure with its high walls and guard towers. It appeared, from the outside at least, to be an isolated prison for violent offenders, much like Alcatraz in San Francisco. Bobby knew that the occupants undoubtedly had more than a little in common with the prisoners of Alcatraz, and he could feel his palms sweating from nervousness. Christopher had tried to talk him out of this crazy plan to infiltrate Joaquin Lopez's fortress, pointing out that it was far too dangerous and that they should wait and have the local authorities storm the compound. Bobby had agreed his plan was dangerous, but pointed out that forcing their way inside would probably lead to John Ross's death.

So now he was blinding entering the devil's lair, and praying he'd survive. Much like JR had done a few months earlier, Bobby had left a long, loving note to Ann in Christopher's care, telling her how much he loved and appreciated the years they had spent as husband and wife. He sincerely hoped it was a letter that Christopher would never have to deliver.

He stopped the ancient VW bus in front of the metal gates, and gave the horn a short toot. Immediately the doors swung open, and four heavily armed men rushed to surround his vehicle. They quickly ordered him to exit, and Bobby, holding the battered Bible over his head, allowed the men to frisk his body. The guards didn't give the book a second glance, but the car was carefully checked over. Satisfied, they escorted the 'priest' inside the compound and lead him to a small, but well-appointed bedroom with a private bath.

Bobby went to the window, stepped out onto his balcony and looked out over the elegant courtyard. It was idyllic and beautiful, with terra cotta urns filled with colorful plumeria and dahlia, wrought iron benches and swaying palms. The scenery was incongruous with the corruption that created it. It was at that point he noticed two men walking through the winding pathway, heading in his direction. One of the men was tall, with dark hair, and carried himself like he was Lord of the Manor. But it was the older man strolling by his side that made Bobby softly gasp. Even at this distance he could see it was none other than Cliff Barnes.

Returning to his room, he spent some time washing up in the bathroom, and mulling over his limited options. It was now apparent that Joaquin Lopez had been the one to free Barnes from his imprisonment, but why? Did Cliff pay someone to hire Lopez and his men? What would be in it for Lopez? Judging by the opulent lifestyle, Lopez wasn't in need of Cliff's money. And if Barnes attended the wedding ceremony, Bobby knew he'd be as good as dead in minutes, if not seconds. He opened the Bible, which contained the small weapon he'd brought with him. What good would a single gun do against a dozen, heavily armed men?

Things were not looking good.

* * *

_Southfork_

Sue Ellen Ewing resisted the urge to pour herself a real drink as she took a seat at the kitchen table, watching while Ann poured a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her guest. "Have you heard from Bobby yet?"

"No, but he feels they are getting close, and he told me not to give up hope." There had been a bit of hesitation in Ann's reply, which made Sue Ellen suspicious.

"I will never give up hope," Sue Ellen stated. "Not until they're found. Our boys are alive, Ann. I just know it in my heart."

"I'm sure you're right."

Taking a sip of coffee, Sue Ellen worked up her nerve and handed Ann a manila envelope, watching as she pulled out the enlarged photos that showed her daughter embracing Drew Ramos on the balcony of the cheap motel. There would be no way Ann could misconstrue Emma's passionate kiss as simply friendship.

Ann took a sharp breath. "When were these taken?"

"Yesterday. Pamela came over to my home, and told me what happened the other day with Emma and her cell phone. Then I phoned Bum and had him follow Emma, and this is what he found."

"There has to be some mistake. There has to be some explanation."

"I understand she's your child, and you love her no matter what she does, but sometimes a parent has to face the cold, hard facts."

Ann spun around, her expression venomous. "You mean like you face the facts about your back-stabbing child? The spawn of JR Ewing, the very devil himself?"

"Seriously, Ann?" Sue Ellen asked, trying to remain calm. "JR may have been the devil incarnate, but Harris Ryland and his mother are running with those same demons, so perhaps you should think before you fling accusations that can come back to haunt you."

"Get out of my house, Sue Ellen," Ann spat. "You're no longer welcome here."

"My son is part owner of Southfork, and as long as he's alive I will feel welcome to come whenever I wish."

"That probably won't be for very long," Ann mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Just… just go away."

Sue Ellen stood up, pushing the remaining photos toward Ann. "You can keep those pictures and please feel free to share them with Emma, since I have plenty of extra sets." She hesitated before adding, "I'm certain that the police will be very interested in acquiring one of those sets."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Drew Ramos is a fugitive, and your daughter is, at the very least, guilty of withholding that information from authorities," Sue Ellen replied. "Now that I know where he's located, I wouldn't want to be accused of aiding and abetting him as well. Have a nice day, Ann."

* * *

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Knowing he had to act fast, Bobby opened his door, pleasantly surprised to discover it wasn't locked. Lopez must have believed his Priest act, then. However, despite the unlocked door, he didn't get far down the hallway when he was stopped by a guard, who spoke to him in Spanish, demanding to know where he was headed.

Replying in Spanish, Bobby said, "I am seeking out the senorita who is marrying Senor Lopez. It is my custom to give a few moments of counsel to the bride-to-be prior to the actual ceremony. Actually, it is usually several sessions with both the bride and groom, but since Senor Lopez is such a busy man, I am not certain he would appreciate using his time in such a manner."

This didn't seem entirely unreasonable to the guard, as his recently married sister and her groom had gone through several pre-marriage counseling sessions. But the guard was not about to seek out Senor Lopez and suggest a counseling session, either. He valued his life far too much to take that chance. "I will take you to Senorita Ramos' room."

It was the second time Bobby was totally shocked since his arrival, and he spoke without thinking, "Senorita Ramos? _Elena_ Ramos?"

The guard frowned in suspicion. "You know Senorita Ramos?"

The reply confirmed Bobby's fear. But what was Elena doing here, at this Mexican drug lord's compound? And why was she engaged to Lopez? Nothing made sense, but the guard was waiting for Bobby's response, and he quickly formulated what he hoped sounded like a reasonable explanation. "I've spent some time in the States, and I've met her and her family, many years before I became a priest. It seems to be a small world, Senor, yet I am certain she will be surprised to see her old friend, Father Roberto Diaz."

"I am certain she will," the guard agreed.

He led Bobby down several corridors, finally stopping in front of a door, which had its very own guard, and explained their purpose to the second man. After noting Bobby's grim expression, the first guard explained, "Senor Lopez has many enemies, and he wishes nothing more than to keep his beloved lady safe. That is the reason for the private guard, as well as the locked door."

"I understand," Bobby replied smoothly, waiting with his heart pounding in anticipation as the guard opened the locked door and escorted him inside the apartment.

Elena had been sitting in a chair, facing the window and reading a book. She rose from the chair, and turned to face the visitors. Her eyes widened with shock upon recognizing the man in robes. "Bobby?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Eleven**

Bobby swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. He remembered to keep speaking in Spanish, and replied, "Elena! You haven't called me by my silly Anglo nickname 'Bobby' for such a long time, since even before I took my vows and became Father Roberto Diaz. When was the last time we saw each other…five years, perhaps? How is your sweet mother, Carmen? Is she still working for the Ewing family? And your brother, Drew…is he well?"

For a long moment, Elena only stared silently at the older Ewing, trying to formulate an appropriate response to his confusing introduction. Then it all clicked into place, and she responded in Spanish, as well. "Father Diaz, it is such a surprise to see you, I forgot to address you properly."

He stepped forward and took her hand, looking directly into her eyes. "I was surprised, as well. Especially upon hearing that you are about to get married." The look of distress that flooded her face made Bobby realize how grim this situation was for Elena. "I always ask to give guidance to those about to take marriage vows, and I was wondering if you would be interested in this guidance?"

"Very much so." She looked past Bobby, at the guard. "But only if I can do so in private."

Turning to address the guard, Bobby spoke firmly, wagging his hand to indicate the man should exit the room. "The lady wishes privacy in this matter, and I am certain that you would accept no less for your own sister."

When the guard seemed hesitant to leave, Elena said to Bobby, "If this man thinks I will allow a stranger eavesdropping on my private affairs, he is mistaken. If I must, I will speak directly to Senor Lopez to allow us some privacy."

The mere mention of Lopez sent the guard reeling into submission. "I will be waiting right outside your door, Senorita Ramos, should you need me." He quickly retreated, slamming the door shut behind him.

Before Elena could say anything further, Bobby leaned close and whispered, "Is it safe to talk in this apartment, or do the walls have ears?"

It hadn't occurred to Elena that her apartment might actually be 'bugged.' She led Bobby out to the balcony, sat down in a wicker chair and indicated he should sit as well. He drew the chair close to hers, hoping they wouldn't be overheard. "What happened?" he asked gently.

Elena put her head down, feeling the hot tears spilling from her eyes. "I … I was suckered by Cliff Barnes. He called me to come down here to see him, and then he showed me a document …" She trailed off, embarrassed.

"What kind of document?"

"It was a land deed. It showed that my father once owned the land that you now own; land that has rich oil deposits. JR switched deeds, and my father ended up with worthless sand and shrub."

Bobby sighed. "I can see how that could have happened. JR was an expert as raking people over the coals and taking whatever he wanted." When Elena didn't speak, he prodded her again, "What did you do after Cliff showed you the deed?"

"I was furious," she admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking straight. I remembered my father's side of the family had a long friendship with the Lopez family, and I knew Lopez had a lot of influence. So I drove over here, and asked him for help setting things right."

"So you asked him to spring Barnes out of prison?" Bobby questioned, shocked. This wasn't the Elena he knew, or thought he knew. "Three guards died during that escape, Elena."

"I didn't ask him to help Barnes escape! I only wanted him to work through the proper channels to have his sentence overturned. And I certainly would never have asked him to involve my brother in this mess by killing Christopher." Elena started to cry harder as she thought about the man she had truly loved and who she believed was now deceased, as well as her brother, who was now deeply involved with a growing number of deaths.

Bobby leaned closer, taking Elena's hands in his, mulling over Elena's confession about Drew's involvement with the ill-fated flight. "Christopher is alive, and recovering in a hospital. I wish I could say the same about our pilot and co-pilot."

The young woman looked up through her tear-filled eyelashes, her voice filled with hope, "Christopher…is alive?"

"Alive and recovering nicely. Which begs the next question – where is John Ross?"

"He's here," she replied. "They're holding him hostage so I'll marry Lopez."

"And once you become Mrs. Lopez, they'll kill him anyway."

"I know," Elena said. "I was trying to buy him some time."

"Time is running out, Elena," Bobby said, pulling the gun from under his priest robes and showing her the weapon. "We need to act fast, or we'll all be dead by tomorrow morning."

* * *

_Southfork _

Ann Ewing entered her daughter's bedroom without knocking, not caring that she was interrupting a private phone conversation Emma was having with one of her so-called friends. The young girl scowled in annoyance, then addressed whoever she was speaking to on the phone. "It seems my mother must need something really important. I'll call you back later, okay?" She then turned angrily toward Ann. "Can't you at least respect me enough to knock first?"

"Explain these," Ann said, tossing the envelope Sue Ellen had presented her on the bed.

Emma gave a long-suffering sigh, picked up the envelope and pulled out the photos showing her and Drew on the motel balcony. "What's to explain?"

"Are you _kidding _me!?" Ann yelled, barely able to contain her rage. "These were taken yesterday! Ramos is running from the law. He's wanted for _murder_, Emma. Sue Ellen says she's taking this information to the police, and when that happens you're going to end up in prison for aiding a fugitive. What's wrong with you? Why are you lying to my face? What on earth is compelling you to do this?"

The young woman's facial expression froze for long moments. Then she bit her lip and looked at the floor. "I… I was only trying to help, Mom."

Ann clenched her fingers tightly into fists, trying to remain calm. "Tell me how consorting with Drew Ramos is _helping_ anyone."

Emma looked up, her eyes swelling with tears. "He's a bad man, Mom. I know that. At first, I was trying to get him to turn himself in… but when he wouldn't do that, I only went back to his hotel room so I could find out more about his and Elena's evil plans. I was going to tell you and Bobby everything… honest! But then Bobby left town, and I was worried about Drew getting suspicious, because then he'd go on the run again and I wouldn't be able to tell the police where he was … so they could arrest him."

"Drew and Elena's plans?" Ann questioned, her head spinning at this convoluted explanation.

"Drew and Elena were involved with Cliff Barnes escaping from prison!" Emma said breathlessly, grabbing Ann's arms. "Drew put a bomb on the Ewing jet, and Elena has involved some drug kingpin down in Mexico. They plan on killing all the Ewings, and that way they'll end up with Southfork and Ewing Energies." She paused a moment, then added, "I wouldn't be surprised if Pamela is helping them, too, from what Drew told me about Barnes escaping from prison."

"Pamela? That seems unlikely."

"Not if you think about it," Emma said, giving a small, half smile. "Who would come out ahead of everyone if Cliff suddenly makes a comeback, and the Ewing boys and Bobby are all dead? Pamela, of course."

"Are you willing to tell this all to the police?"

"Of _course_, Mom. I'd do _anything_ to help you and the Ewings."


	12. Chapter 12

**Twelve**

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

The guard frowned as frantic rapping came from inside Senorita Ramos' room. He looked at the guard that had escorted the priest over, and grumbled, "You remain here, and I will see what is happening." He opened the door and stepped inside, then relocked the door. As he turned around he was startled to see the priest lying on the floor in a crumpled heap near the window. "What is going on?"

"Father Roberto needs help!" Elena cried out, looking stricken. "He might be having a heart attack!" She pulled at the guard's arm, encouraging him to follow her.

The guard hurried over and bent over Bobby, pushing at him so he would be face up. "Father Roberto? Can you hear –" He got no further with his question as Elena thudded the gun handle on the back of his skull, and the guard dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Bobby opened his eyes, and grinned as he stood up. "We'll tie him up, and gag him so he can't cause us more problems." Bobby yanked the wicked looking Glock semi-automatic handgun from the man's shoulder holster as well as the extra magazines. "And now we have two guns, one for you and one for me."

"I hate guns," Elena confessed, staring at the gun Bobby had smuggled inside the compound and she'd just used to knock out the guard.

"I don't blame you," Bobby replied. "But don't think for a second that these men are going to hesitate to kill us just because of your personal moral belief about guns."

Elena knew this was true, and helped Bobby strip the man's outer clothes and finish tying up the guard. She turned slightly away as Bobby removed his priest robe and put on the guard's clothes. "What do we do about the second guard outside our door?"

"We need him to show us where John Ross is being held. Hopefully, he'll cooperate."

"What if he doesn't?"

Bobby gave a grunt as he pulled on the shirt. "If he values his continued existence, he'll cooperate." He nodded toward the door. "Now, let's get the other guard to open this door."

Using Bobby's plan, Elena shattered a large vase and hid from view. The door handle rattled, and Bobby flattened his body against the wall as the door slowly swung open. The first thing the guard noticed was his fellow _camarada_, still unconscious and trussed up in the center of the room. He took a quick step toward the man, but stopped short when he felt the barrel of a weapon stab his rib cage as Bobby stepped out from behind the partially opened door.

"Make one wrong move or one cry for help, and you're dead," Bobby hissed in the man's ear.

Moving out of her hiding space, Elena quickly disarmed the stunned guard. "Now you will take us to Senor Ewing, and pretend all is well with the world."

"I… I do not know which room he is in," the man stuttered in fear, his face pallid and flushed.

"Don't lie to us," Bobby ground out in disgust, pushing the Glock even harder against the man's side. "I'm sure Lopez has held _guests_ before, and you know the general area where he's located."

"I might have an idea."

"It had better be a really good idea," Bobby warned. "And you will take us there by way of least resistance."

"There will probably be security cameras set up all over," Elena pointed out. "Lopez isn't stupid."

Bobby nodded in agreement. "Then we'll have to do this fast, and act casual."

With Elena walking by the guard's side - whose hands had been bound with a cord and then draped with a jacket to cover that fact - and with Bobby taking up the rear position as if he were escorting Elena and not the nervous man, they were guided through various dusty maintenance areas and fragrant kitchens until they walked down a staircase to a lower floor, beneath ground level. In the dimly lit corridor, Bobby could see a row of five thick wooden doors. The middle door had a single guard sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the adobe wall, with his mouth open and loud snores emanating from his throat.

"Keep moving, and don't make any sudden moves," Bobby muttered softly.

They cautiously approached the sleeping guard, and Elena gave him a nudge with her toe. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she said, smiling down as the man opened his eyes, and looked up to see a gun pointed at his nose. "Very slowly, with two fingers, take your gun out of the holster and put it down."

Now fully awake, the guard swallowed hard and did as he was told. Bobby quickly retrieved the weapon, and ordered the guard to his feet. "Hurry, open the door, and you will live to see another day."

The man fumbled with the keys and nearly dropped them several times before he managed to open the heavy door, which swung open with a grating squeak. Inside was a small cot, toilet, sink and a single light bulb dangling overhead. It also held a single prisoner - John Ross. He jumped up from the hard cot, confused when he saw the two guards being forced inside, but his expression rapidly changed to joy when he saw who was standing in the corridor. "Uncle Bobby!"

"Hurry up, John Ross, we're not going to have much time," Bobby said, quickly locking the two guards inside the cell after John Ross exited. He handed John Ross the third gun, and was caught off-guard when his nephew swung the weapon toward Elena.

* * *

_Southfork_

"I normally would have you come to the station," Sheriff Derrick stated firmly as he set up his recorder in the spacious living room, where the oil portrait of Jock Ewing stared down from atop the fireplace. "But your mother insisted I come here for your statement."

Sue Ellen was sitting on chair and resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she looked over at Ann and Emma. Emma was crying into a tissue, and Ann sat next to her on the sofa, her arm around Emma's shoulders.

"Shall we begin, Miss Ryland?" the Sheriff prodded. "What can you tell me about Drew Ramos, and his plans?"

"Drew came to me after his sister contacted him from Mexico," Emma responded with a sniff.

"Drew Ramos' sister? You mean Elena Ramos?" the Sheriff added, trying to make certain no one could misunderstand.

"Yes, that's who I'm talking about," Emma snapped back, irritated at the interruption. "Anyway, Elena told Drew that JR - that's JR _Ewing_ the old dead guy for you idiots out there listening to this recording - stole their father's oil rich land and gave them some worthless land in return. So then Elena _Ramos_ told her brother, _Drew_ _Ramos, _that she was going to get revenge by having some old family friend help her destroy the Ewing family. He's also the one that got Cliff Barnes out of the Mexican prison, at Elena's request."

The Sheriff seemed somewhat hesitant to continue to ask questions, but still said, "Do you know this man's name?"

"No, I don't," Emma said with a shrug. "But he must have a lot of money and influence, because he supplied Drew with the cash to plant a bomb on the Ewing jet." She gave a coy smile at the Sheriff. "I did overhear Drew talking on the phone to his connection that got him access inside the Ewing hanger. He called her 'Pamela' and I'm pretty sure he was speaking to Pamela Barnes."

"WHAT?!" Sue Ellen yelled, jumping up from her chair. "You're a lying witch!"

"I am NOT!" Emma screeched, and then looked imploringly at Ann. "Mom… I'm doing all this to help the Ewings, and now I'm being accused of lying. Pamela is the one that's the real witch. It's not fair!"

Ann narrowed her gaze at Sue Ellen. "How dare you call my child such a vile name, and accuse Emma of everything that goes wrong with your end of the family? Since when is Pamela such an exemplary example of truthfulness?"

"I never said she was, but in this case I believe it's obvious that Emma is covering her own backside," said Sue Ellen.

"Ladies, please," Sheriff Derrick said, holding up his hands for peace. "Can you prove this, Emma?"

"How would I be able to do that?" Emma asked sarcastically. "Isn't that _your_ job?"

The Sheriff looked annoyed, and Sue Ellen remarked snidely, "The Law Enforcement officials are going to need more than just your word in order to get a conviction. They're going to need evidence."

"Won't the bomb evidence still be on the plane?" Emma asked, snuggling closer to Ann.

"We've already sent investigators to Mexico," the Sheriff said. "If there was a bomb planted, there will be plenty of evidence. But we still need to connect that to Drew Ramos."

"Have you sent someone to the motel to arrest him?" asked Ann. "If he gets away at this point, you can't put the blame on Emma. It's obvious to anyone that's objective that my daughter is trying to help."

"Drew Ramos will be in custody within the hour," Sheriff Derrick replied.

"Are you going to arrest Pamela Barnes, too?" Emma asked hopefully. "I'll gladly testify in court what I know about her involvement."

"She will be brought in for questioning," the Sheriff answered. "If Ramos confirms what you've just told me, then she'll be arrested as an accessory to the murders of the pilot and co-pilot of the Ewing jet."


	13. Chapter 13

**Thirteen**

_Guarded Compound, somewhere in Mexico_

Before John Ross could fire his weapon, Bobby reached over and pushed the barrel toward the floor. "What do you think you're doing?"

"She's the one that's responsible for the plane crashing!" John Ross hissed, waving his free hand at Elena. "She wanted to destroy _all_ of us… she even told me that!"

"I know I made a mistake," Elena told John Ross. "I'm trying to put things right."

"So you want everyone to forgive and forget?" John Ross asked snidely. "Even the families of the deceased pilots?"

"Bobby," Elena pleaded to the elder Ewing, her eyes wide. "I didn't have any idea.."

"You acted so outraged and holy when I tried to get Southfork with JR, but whatever scheme I attempted doesn't even come close to how low you've crawled trying to do the _exact_ same thing!" John Ross yelled in fury at the woman he once loved.

"This isn't the time or the place to be having this discussion," Bobby snapped to his nephew. "We need to make our escape, and then sort out the blame."

"I say we stick her in one of these cells and let Lopez have her," said John Ross tightly. "Taking her back with us to Southfork is going to be a huge mistake."

"And yet, I'm the one making the decision," Bobby replied. "Now, move!"

They only made it a few feet inside of a kitchen area when they were forced to take cover in a small storage room as a group of five armed men charged past, with their guns drawn. When the footsteps faded, Bobby carefully stuck his head out to see if the area was clear.

"They must be onto us," Elena whispered fearfully.

Bobby nodded in agreement. "We need some type of distraction."

"A really big distraction," John Ross concurred, picking up some towels as he frowned thoughtfully. "I have an idea."

"I hope it's a good idea." Bobby suddenly smiled when he saw what material John Ross was gathering, and joined in by finding other pieces of cloth, as well as cardboard and some broken, wooden crates. He looked up overhead, and noted there was a fire suppression system, which Bobby quickly disabled by turning the valve into the 'off' position.

"What are you two doing?" Elena asked, still confused.

"Find something we can use to ignite this pile," Bobby ordered. "Like oil, or kerosene."

"Oh… I get it." Elena dug through some drawers filled with supplies before pulling out lighter fluid. She tugged at the cap, and doused the growing pile of materials, stepping back as Bobby located a match and tossed it onto the mound. Within seconds, hot flames licked at the walls, encouraged to rapidly expand when Bobby and John Ross added even more oil and kerosene. Soon, the entire kitchen area was engulfed in a raging fire, and the three fugitives headed in the opposite direction of their handiwork.

They found a small alcove behind some fig trees, and waited until the guards noticed the conflagration. At that point, a loud alarm sounded, and soon everyone in the compound was rushing to try to contain the blaze. Bobby, Elena, and John Ross hurried away toward the garage area, and picked the closest Jeep that had a tank full of fuel. Elena found a blanket, and ducked down to hide in the back seat while Bobby drove and John Ross sat in the passenger seat. As they rapidly approached the heavy metal gate, Bobby blared on the horn, shouting in Spanish that there was a dire emergency, and the guard needed to open the door immediately.

Instead, the sentry stepped out of his guardhouse, looking at the occupants inside the Jeep with suspicion. "I have not received orders to allow anyone to leave."

"Orders? There is no time for official orders! What part of emergency do you not understand?" Bobby yelled at the man.

"I will have to make a call," the man responded, unfazed by Bobby's yelling, and turned to head back to the guardhouse.

John Ross jumped out of the Jeep and pulled out his gun, pointing it at the man's temple. "Open the gate. NOW."

The frightened guard did as he was told, and the huge door swung open. At that point, John Ross pulled the trigger, killing the man instantly before he leapt back in the vehicle. "Put the pedal to the metal, Uncle Bobby."

"That wasn't necessary, John Ross," Bobby admonished, shocked at how easily his nephew had dispatched the guard. He floored the gas pedal, stirring up a cloud of dust as they hurried away from Lopez's compound. "We made it all this way without killing anyone."

"We didn't have time to tie him up, and he would have sounded the alarm immediately. In fact, he probably would be shooting at _us_ right now."

Elena had pushed the blanket off her body, and was now sitting up, outraged over what John Ross had done. "You shot him in cold blood. He didn't stand a chance."

John Ross twisted in his seat to glare directly at Elena. "What chance did our pilots have, Elena?"

* * *

_Southfork, the next morning_

Sheriff Derrick sat down with a tired sigh, facing three Ewing women – Ann, Sue Ellen and Pamela. "I have some good news and some bad news. I'll start by giving you the good news. I've just heard from the Mexican authorities that Bobby, Christopher and John Ross are all okay and they are already on a flight back to Dallas."

Sue Ellen put her hand to her mouth and shut her eyes as she tried to keep tears of joy from flowing. "Thank you," she managed to whisper as Pamela gave her a hug and Ann clapped her hands together in joy.

"Now for the bad news," the Sheriff continued, focusing on Ann. "Drew Ramos gave us a full confession to his role in the plane bombing, as well as the oil rig bombing. Apparently, Cliff Barnes and some drug kingpin were funding him, and unfortunately, both of those men are still at large."

"Did he implicate Pamela?" Sue Ellen questioned worriedly, grasping her daughter-in-law's hand.

"No, he did not. In fact, he said it was Emma Ryland that knew about this scheme from the very beginning, and she was the person that got him access inside the Ewing jet hanger."

"I knew it!" Pamela said, unable to keep the triumph from her tone.

"That's not possible," Ann gasped out, glaring toward Pamela and her attitude.

"I have every reason to believe it _is_ possible," the Sheriff said, not unkindly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Ewing, but I've had a warrant put out to arrest your daughter as an accessory to first degree murder. Do you know where she's currently located? It would be easier on everyone if she turned herself in."

Ann put her head in her hands and started sobbing as Sue Ellen tried to comfort her friend. "I'm so sorry, Ann."

"No, you're not," Ann whispered. "Your son is on his way home, safe and sound while my child is about to go to prison."

"Do you know where she might be?" Sheriff Derrick asked again.

"Upstairs, in her bedroom," Ann replied, still unable to believe what the Sheriff was telling her was true.

"I'll have to go arrest her. I'm sorry, Mrs. Ewing."

Pamela stood up and walked over to the living room window, pulling the curtain back. "Emma's not in her room anymore." She pointed down the long Southfork driveway. "That's her car, and she's driving away like a bat out of hell."

Sheriff Derrick walked over to stand next to Pamela. "She must have been listening to us."

"Emma likes to do that," Pamela agreed.

"How on earth does she think she's going to escape from the police?" Sue Ellen asked, frowning in confusion. "It's only a matter of time before she's caught."

"Unless she has some outside help," Pamela said darkly, giving a quick glance at Ann who was sitting as still as a granite statue on the sofa, with her facial expression completely unreadable.


	14. Chapter 14

Wow... I've posted three chapters in ONE WEEK! :)

And A **BIG** "Thank You" goes out to my faithful readers – Alyxandria, Ginbell, TBIMH, ana, and several 'Guests'! I truly appreciate the kind words!

* * *

**Fourteen**

_Southfork _

Bobby and John Ross burst into the kitchen, overjoyed at finally being home. Sue Ellen was waiting, and threw her arms around her son before Pamela could react to her husband's appearance. "John Ross… I was so worried about you," Sue Ellen said happily.

"JR had more lives than a mangy alley cat, and I'm fairly sure I inherited his outrageous luck," John Ross bragged. He smiled broadly at his wife and held out his arms for a hug. "What? No welcome home for your beloved husband, darlin'?"

Pamela stood up and gave John Ross and brief hug and a kiss on his cheek. "I'm glad you're alright. Where's Christopher?"

"Are you trying to make me jealous already?" John Ross said, trying unsuccessfully to make it sound like he was joking.

"Christopher is taking Elena home," Bobby replied, looking around the spacious kitchen. "And where, may I ask, is Ann?"

"She's upstairs," Sue Ellen responded, giving Bobby a quick 'look' that he immediately understood.

"Then that's where I'm heading," Bobby said, nodding as he took off to find his wife.

Sue Ellen gave her son another peck on the cheek. "I'd better start home as well, and leave you two newlyweds to become reacquainted." Still smiling, she picked up her purse and headed out the doorway, leaving Pamela and John Ross alone in the kitchen.

"Why do I sense a bit of chill in the air?" John Ross asked, pouring himself a shot of bourbon.

"Emma said that you two slept together."

John Ross gave a short laugh. "I confess that I did have a momentary lapse of sanity, but that was before we were married. You don't have to worry about her, Pamela. The only thing I feel for Emma is contempt."

"She said it was after we got married," persisted Pamela, unwilling to let the subject drop.

He picked up the drink and downed it in one gulp, then slammed the empty glass on the tabletop, glaring at Pamela. "My mother's already filled me in on what Emma was busy doing while I was gone. Didn't she falsely accuse you of working alongside Drew Ramos to destroy Ewing Energies?"

"Yes."

"Emma's a born liar," John Ross said smoothly, altering his expression yet again, to that of indulgent husband. "If you promise not to believe a word she says about me, then I promise I won't believe a word she says about you. Is that a deal?"

Pamela bit her lower lip, trying to decide if her husband was telling her the truth. Then she said, "It's a deal."

John Ross pulled her close and sealed the 'deal' with a long kiss.

* * *

"Ann?" Bobby called out, turning on the lights in the darkened bedroom. He could see the form of his wife, lying under the covers in bed. "Are you okay?" The lump stirred slightly as he sat down on the side of the mattress. "Ann?"

"Emma's wanted for murder," Ann's soft, choked voice said from under the blanket. "I'll never see her again."

Bobby pulled the blanket away, and rubbed Ann's shoulder. "Don't think the worst. You got out of jail from shooting Harris, and we'll find a way to fix this mess, too." He smiled, and added, "The Ewings always find a way to help our own."

Ann sat up, pushing her disheveled hair off her face. "Don't you get it, Bobby? She was conspiring to kill us - Christopher, you… and maybe even me!"

"She's been brainwashed by her father and her grandmother," Bobby said. "If we stand by her, even through this, Emma will come around to see us as family."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so," Bobby said, even though his common sense was telling him otherwise. "I love you, Ann."

* * *

_Elena's house on Southfork_

"It's nice to be home," Elena said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence that was hanging between them ever since they'd picked up Christopher at the Mexican hospital on their way to the airport for the flight home.

Using crutches, Christopher hobbled inside Elena's home, stopping just inside the door. The flight back to Dallas had been awkward, to say the least, with John Ross seething over Elena's betrayal of the Ewing family, and Bobby occasionally trying to make small talk. Christopher had tried to deflect his cousin's anger by telling his father about the Ryland Transport documents but when Bobby asked what the documents contained, Christopher reluctantly admitted that they were only old shipping manifests. John Ross had smirked, and pointed out that Christopher was assuming the worst about his intentions, and that old shipping manifests weren't exactly a 'smoking gun.' The papers only proved what he'd said before – he was trying to find out information about smuggling through Ryland Transportation to help the Ewing family defeat Harris Ryland. Christopher knew this wasn't the entire story, and he strongly suspected there was far more going on than John Ross would ever freely admit, but without further evidence his case was weak. So he dropped the accusation for the time being, although he wasn't going to forget about this, either. He might have bonded with his cousin during their ordeal, but he knew John Ross too well to believe anything had truly changed between them.

What _had_ changed, however, was his relationship with Elena. How could he ever trust her, after what happened in Mexico? He couldn't resist asking, "Why didn't you come to me and my father after Cliff showed you the deed? Why did you have to go ask some drug kingpin for help?"

"I… I wasn't thinking clearly," Elena replied, realizing how weak that excuse sounded, even to her own ears. "I was so angry at the time."

Christopher leaned against the wall, shutting his eyes. "It used to be so good between us, Elena. I loved you with all my heart, and all I wanted to do was spend the rest of my life with you." He opened his eyes, and was able to look directly at her. "I came here that night… the night you'd left to see Barnes. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was that we'd argued, and I wanted to marry you."

Elena was crying now. "Christopher –."

"No, let me finish. You see, it wouldn't have mattered about the deed, Elena. You would have been my other half, and that land would have belonged to you again, you and our children. Even now, I'll still make sure you're paid properly for what JR took from your father, and we can have our lawyers settle on oil rights. I want to do the right thing about this deed, and I'm sure my father will want that, as well."

"I know I should have come to you, Christopher," Elena managed through her sobs. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Christopher opened the door, pausing at the exit. "If I have to give you an answer right now, then the answer is 'no.'" He walked out of the house, shutting the door and leaving Elena standing alone.

* * *

_Care home facility, south of Dallas_

It was late at night, and the nursing home was nearly void of employees. One lone woman pushed an empty wheelchair down a corridor, her eyes downcast and her long black hair covering her face. She stopped at a room, glancing backwards down the hallway before entering the dark room. "Grandmother?"

A nightlight next to the bed clicked, casting a soft, warm light over the bed's occupant. "What took you so long?"

"I had to wait until it was safe," Emma replied, walking quickly to her grandmother's side. "I need to leave the country, as quickly as possible. The police are looking for me."

Judith Ryland sighed. "You never learn, do you child?"

"I'm sorry."

"And well you should be. I told you we could destroy the Ewing family and add Ewing Energies to our portfolio by pitting those two cousins against each other, but you didn't listen to me - again."

"I did listen, Grandmother," Emma said, sitting down on the side of her bed. "I gave John Ross those forged shipping documents and then I informed Christopher that John Ross had them. You should have seen the expression on Christopher's face when I told him that John Ross was using Ryland Transport to take over their company and toss Christopher and his father out of the company. I did _exactly_ what you asked me to do."

"But where was Drew Ramos in this scenario, Emma? When did I tell you to get involved with that worthless piece of trash?" Judith asked, shaking her head in exasperation. "You've got a lot to learn, and freelancing isn't exactly your strongest attribute. Well, at least you got your backstabbing father tossed in prison, which I instructed you to do. Paybacks are hell, and Harris never seems to learn that he can never get the better of his dear mother."

"Will you get me out of the country, and then get these murder charges dropped, Grandmother? Please?"

"Of course I can, sweetheart. I have fake passports in a small bank north of Dallas, and I will transfer funds to an overseas account under that name. Where would you like to go? Monaco is always nice this time of year, and I have some dear friends over there that owe me a few favors. Help me get dressed and into the wheelchair."

Emma did as Judith asked of her, then stepped back. "Now what?"

"Now you go across the hall. The lady in that room needs a respirator to breath, and you'll need to unplug the machine. In thirty seconds, an alarm will sound and the few people on shift will hurry into the room. Then we'll be clear to leave."

"Yes, Grandmother."

Emma disappeared briefly, and then rushed back inside Judith's room. Just as Judith predicted, loud alarms sounded and the nursing home attendants ran to give assistance. Then she wheeled her grandmother out of the room, down the corridor, and out of the nursing home, her mind already on Monaco's pretty beaches and glamorous casinos.

**THE END**


End file.
